In April, MoreThanTheCurve.com reported that developers Sal Paone and Bruce Goodman were the winners of an auction for the 51-acre Fort Washington (Whitemarsh Township) estate of Advanta founder Dennis Alter. The pair paid $5.6 million for the property.

A proposal to develop the property and reserve about half of the acreage for open space has been submitted to Whitemarsh Township by Sal Paone Builder. The proposal seeks for the board of supervisors to amend the zoning code through a text amendment. You can view the proposed text amendment here.

“Our application is a follow up to the goals set forth in Whitemarsh Township’s Comprehensive Plan update from 2020,” said Sal Paone, Jr. “The accompanying sketch plan is intended to provide an example of how development of the property could unfold with a focus on quality Open Space and sensitivity to the surrounding neighborhoods.”

The example sketch plan shows that the mansion remains intact with a significant buffer to the areas proposed for development. The 31 homes shown on the plan would bookend the property with the mansion between the developed areas. Approximately 25 acres would be preserved as open space that would include a walking trail and eight public parking spaces.

The proposed text amendment has not yet appeared on an agenda for the township’s planning commission or board of supervisors. We will provide an update if and when it does.

Image: Sal Paone Builder